New York Giants have no problem playing role of underdog

New York Giants have no problem playing role of underdog

Throughout their history, the New York Giants have thrived in the role of underdog. Such was the case in both 2007 and 2011 when they capped their Cinderella stories with Super Bowl victories over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

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As one of the league’s best teams here in 2016, currently resting with an 8-3 record, you would think they’d be spared that underdog role. But that has not been the case with many experts calling them “frauds” and Vegas currently listing the Pittsburgh Steelers as nearly 7-point favorites heading into a Week 13 battle with Big Blue.

That disrespect is nothing more than a little dirt on their shoulder, and several Giants have already wiped it off and embraced their role as underdog.

“I don’t mind being the underdog, I’ve been one all my life,” wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. told reporters on Wednesday. “We’re going against a very good team, a playoff team pretty much each and every year. Talented across the board in every which way you can imagine. It’s not like we’re not playing a very good team.

“It’s really just opinion. Predictions, scores, all of that is just opinion until you get out there and what happens actually happens.”

For fellow wide receiver Victor Cruz, who has much more experience than Beckham Jr. in this role, he isn’t phased by the doubt one iota.

“Not at all,” Cruz said when asked if he’s phased by the doubt. “I just go out there on Sunday and play the game. That is all we can control and hopefully we come out victorious.

“I definitely feel confident. As long as we win games, I don’t care about anything else. As long as we finish the game with more points than the other team, that is the only thing that matters.”

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The most successful Giants teams have been those that ignore the outside chatter and thrive in the face of it. Cruz has that experience and has undoubtedly shared that knowledge with his fellow teammates. Now it’s up to the rest of them to walk in his footsteps and repeat history.

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